It's time for another review of some of the items of interest from around the Nation and the league, as teams move into the middle third of the season. In this week's overview, the Oilers hit a sour patch, the Canucks carry on without a couple of useful pieces, and the Leafs' ownership changes hands.

The quarter pole has arrived in the NHL season, and News and Notes is back to examine the state of affairs around the Nation and the league. In this episode, the Flames head for the bottom, the Oilers bounce back, and hockey's best rejoins the action.

All Hallows Eve is here in all its glory, with children headed to the door this evening in search of treats their parents would never let them near any other night, and those same parents openly regretting the sugar rush they're about to bestow on said urchins. Of course, for those of you in between those ages, Hallowe'en is about other pursuits, and those are perfectly fine as well. As an aside, when did this copious skin baring business start in earnest? When I was in university in the early 80's, you'd only see someone in their knickers if you were dating them, and even then it was iffy ;-) I'm not complaining, mind, just attempting to fill the gaps in my knowledge base.

Anyhoo, let's get to it. In this aggregation of notes, the Leafs hit a roadblock in the nation's capital, the Oil are cruising for now, and Vancouver snaps out of their funk with a bang.

Another week has passed in the season, and with that, it's time for another review of matters around the league. In this installment, the Canucks make the first significant move of the year, two first rounders appear on divergent paths, and the Leafs face life without Optimus Reim.

After a summer of sloth, our review of some of the recent events of note from around the league returns Nationwide. In this iteration of the round-up, the Flames snap out of it, the Oilers sleep through another night in St. Paul, and the Jets get a reality check in the Windy City.